The present invention relates to fishing and boating equipment and more particularly to downrigger devices for maintaining the depth of a lure or bait attached to a fishing line when trolling.
Various systems have been proposed for ocean and lake trolling to maintain the lure or bait attached to a fishing line at a predetermined depth. Such systems include downriggers having a reel, a boom and a downrigger line. Secured to the end of the line is a weight or cannonball. The downrigger line also includes a fishing line release. An electric motor connected to a power source is actuated to raise and lower the downrigger line.
Generally, the fishing rod is held in a rod holder. With certain rod holders, the rod is positioned in a set position during trolling operations. Upon line release, the holder will shift to a strike position indicating line release and presenting the pole to the fisherman for easy removal from the rod holder. An example of such a rod holder assembly is found in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,721 entitled ROD HOLDER ASSEMBLY and issued on Jan. 29, 1985. Examples of downrigger assemblies may be found in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,409 entitled TIP UP RIGGER WITH TROLLEY SUBASSEMBLY and issued on Sept. 9, 1986; U.S. Pat. No. 3,193,964 entitled OUTRIGGER FISHING LINE GUIDE and issued on July 13, 1965 to Hurst; U.S. Pat. No. 3,719,331 entitled DOWNRIGGER and issued on Mar. 6, 1973 to Harsch; U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,002 entitled DOWNRIGGER SYSTEM and issued on Feb. 3, 1981 to McNellis; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,350 entitled AUTOMATIC DOWN RIGGER CONTROL SYSTEM and issued on Mar. 15, 1983 to Bednarz et al.
Upon fishing line release, the downrigger line must be reeled in. This is necessary to prevent tangling of the fishing line with the downrigger line and cannonball. Also, when trolling near the bottom, the cannonball may bump or bounce on the bottom as the water depth decreases The operator must raise the downrigger line to move the ball off the bottom.
A need exists for a device which will automatically retrieve the downrigger line and weight upon release of the fishing line and which will automatically adjust the position of the downrigger weight should it bump or drag on the bottom.